Garissa residents get relief food, 2.9km irrigation project from WFP

Garissa residents have benefitted from relief food and a 2.9km irrigation project at Taleh Farm from the World Food Programme.

A delegation of top WFP officials from Rome is in Garissa to cement the existing partnership with the Garissa government.

County secretary Abdi Ali hosted the team at his office on Tuesday.

The delegation led by special advisor to the executive director Gresham Barrett, aims to gather first-hand experience of the current drought situation.

The team will also be involved in the launch of the Garissa County Disaster Risk Management and Gender policies on Wednesday.

Ali said the three-year WFP - Garissa government partnership has registered improved technical capacity of agriculture through livestock extension officers.

The partnership has also helped technical officers to transfer skills to farmers. The provision of farm inputs and implements has improved food production.

They also support 69,762 vulnerable people in Garissa with monthly food ration and provide food to households displaced by floods.

Other areas are logistical support to deliver food to villages cut-off by floods and constant supply of nutrition commodities to health facilities for treatment of malnutrition.

Also, development of a disaster risk management policy and bill, ECDE policy, ECDE feeding guidelines and gender policy.

The teams also visited some of the projects they are implementing and shared the county nutrition status at Medina Health Centre.

Health executive Roble Nunow, director of Donor Coordination and Partnerships Mohamed Sahal, director of Special Programmes Abdinoor Ole Hussein and director of Family Health Mohamed Haret were present.

The WFP delegation included senior HR advisor Allan Mcleland, representative and WFP country director Lauren Landis and HR officer Vivienne Miliza.

Others were head of country capacity strengthening Carola Kenngott, head of Garissa Field Office Yussuf Ali and Programme Policy officer Philip Looniyo.

(Edited by Bilha Makokha)